Making a Brigandine

Tallphil84 · Post by **Tallphil84** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:08 pm

I'm going to make a WOTR era Brig this winter. Can anyone give me advice on patterns and methods etc.

Trading-Dragon · Post by **Trading-Dragon** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:58 pm

Don't expect to finish it this winter.

Seriously though, it's a very demanding project.

From experience, I'd suggest using 16ga plates. It'll be much MUCH heavier than 18ga, even heavier than a solid breastplate made from the same material but you will likely be using mild steel as it is cheap, readily available and easy to cut. Unfortunately mild steel is also rather soft and I find that 18ga just deforms too easily under a blow.

Though I must also stress that many people are perfectly happy with 18ga mild steel brigs and never had a problem with them, as long as sufficient padding is worn underneath (I.e. a good thick jack).

It should also be noted that without the jack most brigs are too flexible upon impact and you may still end up with broken ribs if you run blindly into a bill.

Now, 16ga or 18ga mild steel can be cut with tin snips, if you get some heavy duty ones (spend good money here on a decent pair) and clamp them down in a big vice. Afterwards the plated need to be de-burred which can be done with a file or very carefully with a belt sander (a good investment).

I suggest leather for the outer shell as it will wear better, even though it is probably entirely unhistorical.

The Methley Archer · Post by **The Methley Archer** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:06 pm

Check out this thread, it will help you.

http://livinghistory.co.uk/forums/viewt ... highlight=

I start mine this winter.

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:21 pm

if it were me I would have the plated laser cut including the holes and electroplated and I have a large quantity of rivets.

I frequently get plating done and though there is a minimum charge it is not expensive and as for laser cutting I have had a few tons of that done this year so far.

cost would depend on quantity and number of different shapes of the plates, it would probably be best to laser the ones needed in quantity and do the rest by hand.
copper roofing nails for rivets maybe or do you need stronger ones.

anyone want to know more just ask.

Tallphil84 · Post by **Tallphil84** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:11 pm

I will probably be waring it in conjunction with a placard (best £40 ever spent it was second hand originaly from dress to kill) for some extra protection. Some of the plates will brobably be from a recycled set of lammelar I made but abbanded due to repeated lacing falures. I susspect for the quantity of plates I would need it would cost from £400 from all local metal workers I tried when I was looking for lammelar but I might try again with different specs.

Keep the tips coming please.

Thomas Hayman · Post by **Thomas Hayman** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:41 pm

£400? Get thee a jigsaw and a sheet of 18g (£30 tops) and have at it. Cutting the plates out is the easy bit.

I suggest a hand hole punch for the holes cleaner and quicker than a drill.

Tallphil84 · Post by **Tallphil84** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:45 pm

Thanks. When I made my lammelar I drilled the holes and they were horribly rough and kept cutting the lacing so a punch sounds like a good idea.

Thomas Hayman · Post by **Thomas Hayman** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:50 pm

Frost auto tools do a good one, it's a knock off of another brand but works perfectly well.

Something like this should take care of the edges http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Deburring- ... ealey-DB01

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:05 pm

I have a similar deburring tool from noga, have seen enough sealey stuff to know there is better quality around and the noga was about half that price

got a spare one a few weeks ago at £2.99 and 10 S30 blades for £3

Thomas Hayman · Post by **Thomas Hayman** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:22 pm

It was the first result i came across

Trading-Dragon · Post by **Trading-Dragon** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:22 pm

And while we're talking tools:

http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/255mm-Expe ... 8-Draper-3

Does anyone know if this is any good for cutting 16ga mild steel?

I have bought that huge shear off you, Dave, which is still running brilliantly. It cuts endless straight lines and so far I've made a handful of brigs and Coats of Plates with it. Best 25 quid i ever spent!
Still, i need something that will cut corners. Ideally a hand tool or something fairly quiet, as I've had some trouble with my neighbours when I attacked sheet metal with a jigsaw.

I've got a whooping big pair of snips but they, too, do only straight lines.

Trading-Dragon · Post by **Trading-Dragon** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:28 pm

Also: how does that deburring tool work? I am most intrigued...!!

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:38 pm

I use the S30 blade in mine, it will do a hole in sheet steel in one go, it also does edges in seconds.
can bring one to torm or ILHF and you can try it.

as to the nibbler 16G soft ali at a push but even 18G steel will wear it out in a couple of hours.

I have a nice old AEG electric shear that does curves in 12 g steel cleanly and have used air and electric nibblers that spit out thousands of sharp tiny horseshoe shaped pieces that get everywhere

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:43 pm

Thomas Hayman wrote:It was the first result i came across

no probs, have seen to many cheap tools do a few mins work and then be chucked out so getting a good un for a lot less than a cheap un is often my aim.

I will have a few new items to interest people at the 2 markets soon but at the mo am concentrating on forges which are selling like hot cakes.

4 in one day recently

House of De Clifford · Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:41 am

Tallphil84 wrote:I will probably be waring it in conjunction with a placard

Keep the tips coming please.

Why use a placard ? i fight with a brig and to be honest, ive taken some quite heavy shots in it with no damage to myself or the brig, they absorb impacts and transfer the shock over the plates superbly. I never quite understood why brigs where so popular till i fought in one. the placard will just get mashed, save it for an archers setup or something else.
Dave.

The Methley Archer · Post by **The Methley Archer** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:54 am

I got my simple plates (200) cut and punched for about £100 by an engineering firm in Hull. Because I reignited a latent intrest he had in armour he has plans on setting a forge in his works and tinkering.

Marcus Woodhouse · Post by **Marcus Woodhouse** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:20 am

I managed to end up with my ribs broken at Warwick wearing a brig over an arming doublet (this year I've noticed a lot of heavy hitters and a few members of the Woodvilles have had injuries from over enthusiastic hits).

I now wear a maille shirt under my brig but this weekend I'll be wearing a placard too because in my own experience Blore is a heavy hitting fight.

It's also quite an authentic get up as there are lots of images of archers and MAA wearing maille, a brig and a placard and the same set up is mentioned in French and Burgundian ordiannces.There are certainly more images of brigs with placards then jacks with placards.

Colin Middleton · Post by **Colin Middleton** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 12:55 pm

I'm surprised that the Woodvilles were getting injured after the fight I saw them put up at Warwick! We were really hard pressed there!

Marcus Woodhouse · Post by **Marcus Woodhouse** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:31 am

Oh I'm not complaining as such-I mix it in and expect to get it dished back
I'm just getting old and wimpy boy.

behanner · Post by **behanner** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:00 pm

You might look in to high tensile steel strapping or banding.
If you can find it in a good width and thickness you can get the same stength out of thinner material and its alread the width you need.

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:31 pm

can get the banding up to 50mm wide and about 1mm thick

behanner · Post by **behanner** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:40 pm

Might also check stainless. And what kind of finishes are availible on the tensile steel. The stuff I am able to get here is double electric galvanized so it looks almost exactly like it was tinned. Some of the pieces Bob Reed examined before Wolfe Argent made their brigs were tinned so they tinned their plates.

Colin Middleton · Post by **Colin Middleton** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:24 pm

Colin Middleton wrote:I'm surprised that the Woodvilles were getting injured after the fight I saw them put up at Warwick! We were really hard pressed there!

Sorry that should read
"I'm not surprised that the Woodvilles were getting injured after the fight I saw them put up at Bosworth! We were really hard pressed there!"

Boy I'm really making a fool of myself lately. I obviously needed that holiday!